


Loose Thread

by bry0psida



Series: Harringrove Advent [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Meetings, Fluff, Harringrove, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:07:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21628843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bry0psida/pseuds/bry0psida
Summary: Steve loses a bet and ends up having to wear ugly sweaters for the duration of December. Billy works in a novelty clothes store.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington/Billy Hargrove
Series: Harringrove Advent [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558885
Comments: 10
Kudos: 159





	Loose Thread

**Author's Note:**

> [Prompt](https://alloftheprompts.tumblr.com/post/134349883493/25-days-christmas-romance-challenge) \- Character A loses a bet and has to wear a different ugly Christmas sweater every day till Christmas. Character B works at a clothes store.

The bell above the store entrance rings for the first time that day. It’s been a slow one, usually is this time of the month. People tend to either buy their shit way too early or way too late. The beginning of December is oddly tame, for retail.

Billy quickly puts the paper thin Santa hat his manager insisted he wear back on, takes a breath to recite the store’s bullshit greeting, and releases it in a gust of air when he sees who has walked in.

A very pretty boy with even prettier hair strolls in, oozing confidence as he bickers with his friend.

“This is ridiculous, Robin. You know that, right?”

Robin rolls her eyes. “You only think so ‘cause you lost the bet, Harrington. Deal’s a deal.”

The pair begin their first lap of the store, oblivious of Billy. He’s stock still behind the counter, too distracted by their presence to announce his own.

Harrington stops in front of a sleeveless sweater with an elf body on the front, giving the illusion the wearer is, in fact, actually an elf.“This is cute, pretty sure I had one of these as a kid.”

Robin joins him, hands on hips as she shakes her head. “Nuh-uh. We’re going all out on this, Steve.”

Steve mirrors her posture and sighs in mock exasperation. “There’s a word for people like you, you know.”

“Oh really? And what’s that?”

“Sadist.”

Robin snorts and shoves him. “Go big or go home, only shit you don’t wanna wear. If you don’t pick anything good, you bet your ass I’ll do it for you.”

Steve makes a show of walking to the opposite end of the store with his hands up. The air is quickly filled with the sound of hangers sliding on rails and the quiet Christmas music Billy isn’t allowed to turn off.

Billy watches them, or watches Steve to be more precise, as he mills about the store. Robin notices Billy after her search of the left side comes up empty-handed. She blinks once when she sees him, then breaks out into a smug smile Billy can’t place the intent of. She walks up to the counter, leans both arms on it, right on Billy’s magazine.

Billy scans her face now she’s close. She’s hot, but not as hot as Steve, in Billy’s opinion.

“How can I help you?”

“Well, my friend over there,” Robin jerks a thumb over her shoulder, “needs ugly Christmas sweaters, and I mean _ugly_. Everything I’m seeing in here is a little…” Robin makes a gesture with her hand, bracelets clinking together like bells.

Billy finishes for her. “Tame?”

Robin snaps her fingers at him. Billy decides he likes her. “You got it. Tell me you have something nasty hidden away in the back, unsellable’s or gag gifts or something else.”

Billy grins as he remembers some of the more undesirable stock from years prior gathering dust in storage. “We’ve got all sorts back there.”

“You are a lifesaver.” Robin takes the liberty of closing Billy’s magazine as she pushes off the counter. “Steve! C’mere.”

Steve rounds the maze of colourful knitwear in a green number decorated with tinsel and plastic ornaments. “What do you th-oh, shit, didn’t see you there.” Robin silently mouths a _here we go_ at Billy. “I can just try these on, right? I don’t need to pay first or go to the changing room or-I have my shirt on underneath, it’s not sweater to skin or anything.”

Billy licks his lips as he leans against the wall behind him, elbows resting on the counter. “Nah, you’re good man. Great, actually.”

Steve flushes cherry red and Billy has to bite his lip to keep from laughing, which only serves to make Steve flush more. He hooks a finger in the collar of the Christmas-tree style sweater and pulls it away from his neck. “Is it just the sweater or is it-is it hot in here?”

Robin looks like all her Christmases have come at once, Billy is feeling something similar watching Steve’s little display.

Billy licks his lips. “I think it’s just you.”

Steve’s mouth opens and closes several times like a goldfish. Robin breaks the silence.

“This guy, uh-“ Robin glances at bright red acrylic name tag pinned to his too-tight matching polo shirt. “Billy here was just telling me about all the nasty shit they keep in the back for losers like you.”

“That’s-great. Really great. Hey, here’s a great idea: maybe we should come back later?”

Robin purses her lips. “Why would we do that?” Steve glares at her. “You always say there’s no time like the present.”

Steve concedes. “Alright.”

Robin claps a hand to her forehead as she looks pointedly at the clock on the wall behind Billy.

“Would you look at the time! I gotta run. Billy, you’ll help my friend Steve out, right?”

“Of course.”

Robin turns to wink at him before disappearing out the door, silencing Steve’s string of stunted protests with the chime of the bell.

Billy clears his throat when Steve doesn’t look away from the door. “You wanna see what we got, or follow your friend?”

Steve wrestles with something internally while Billy waits for an answer. After a moment of deliberation he nods, eyes settling on anything but Billy.

“It’s just through here.” Billy turns, opening the staff door and leaving it ajar for Steve to follow.

They come to a room filled wall to wall with metal shelving and labelled boxes. “Alright, boxes are labelled by theme. We have 3-D prints, transgressive imagery, political parody, prop pullovers, curse shirts and the not safe for work stuff. Where you wanna start?”

Steve chews on the inside of his cheek as he scans the shelves. “Let’s try props.”

“Can do.”

Billy tries not to be embarrassed as he retrieves a step ladder to reach the higher shelves. Thankfully Steve doesn’t say anything about him needing it, or even worse, reach for the boxes himself. Billy drops the first box into Steve’s waiting arms.

“Couldn’t help but overhear you lost a bet.” Billy says as he watches Steve rifle through the lot.

“Yeah. It was my idea, ironically.”

“Tell me about it.”

“My friends and I started a bit of a prank war. It kind of branched out from there into dares and bets. This is the first time I’ve drawn the short straw. Gotta wear a nasty festive sweater every day of December.”

“How’re you feelin’ about that, now that you’re here?”

Steve sets aside four sweaters and passes the box back up to Billy, avoiding his gaze. “I’m glad Robin had to leave.”

Billy grabs the box so that their fingers touch. “Me too.”

...

One day passes before Steve is back, sans Robin, clad in the beer pong sweater with plastic cups superglued on. They make small talk as Billy leads him back to storage and they begin the search for embarrassing garments in earnest.

“You still in school?” Billy asks as he passes down boxes.

“Senior, final year.”

“Of college, or?”

Steve huffs a laugh. “High-school.”

Billy hops off the step ladder. “Coulda fooled me, you look older.”

Steve turns to look at him, arches a brow. “Oh yeah?”

Billy flashes his teeth in what he knows is a seductive grin. “Yeah.” Steve promptly flushes and returns to looting through the box.

“What about you?”

“Graduated last year.”

Steve pulls out a tacky and vibrant knit, holds it up for Billy’s approval, slips it on when he gives it.

“College, or?”

Billy snorts. “You think I’d be in here if I’d just finished college?”

“No. Good point.”

Steve is trying to take the sweater off in what Billy thinks is an attempt at being sexy, but it bunches around his neck and the tag gets caught and Billy has to help him untangle the mess as they descend into giggles.

Steve leaves with another four sweaters.

...

They carry on like this for a week and a half, Steve returning every other day or so for more sweaters. Billy’s been keeping count. He’s up to twenty eight sweaters. He only needs three more. Billy resolves to make a move should he come back, takes even more extra shifts to be sure he doesn’t miss Steve.

...

Four days pass and Billy begins to lose hope. Steve is back on the fifth, sporting the Jesus in a baby carrier sweater. Billy tries to not look too excited as Steve stamps the excess snow off his boots.

“I gotta admit, I admire your dedication to the bet.”

“Yeah, well, if I don’t follow through I can’t expect anyone else to either.”

Steve leads the way into the back this time, much to Billy’s surprise. The journey to storage is uncharacteristically silent.

When Billy rounds the last corner, Steve all but pounces on him, backing him into the nearest wall.  
Billy’s heart crashes in his chest. “I thought-when you didn’t come back, that it was just me.”

Steve smiles as he shakes his head, all lazy confidence like that first day. “So did I, that’s why I didn’t come back.”

“What changed your mind?”

“Robin.”

Billy huffs a little laugh as he hooks his index and middle fingers in Steve’s belt loops, pulls so their fronts are flush. “Remind me to write her a thank you note.”

“I’ll do that.” Steve kisses him then, long fingers winding into Billy’s curls.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! It's been almost seven months since I felt confident enough in anything I wrote to dare sharing it, so if you liked this Please God let me know!
> 
> Come find me on [Tumblr](https://bry0psidawrites.tumblr.com) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bryopsida) :-)


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